We welcomed Robin of Platis Cleaners (Danforth) some time ago, but we wanted to present her & the business in more depth for this next edition of #facesofthedanforth .

They officially opened March 25th this year after Robin partnered up with Gus Platis of Platis Cleaners and took over the business from the owners of former Lianna’s. Robin has another business called Wishy Washy Laundromat at Vic Park and Danforth. It was through this business she got to meet Gus. So she knows the #danforthcommunity well. She admits she had really big shoes to fill having taken over a spot that was held for 45 years by Fred Giannopoulos. She recognizes he was a much loved figure of the community and not a single day goes by where someone doesn't wander into the store to see how he is. Fred even stopped by back in July, for the first time since he retired, to see the renovation and the changes they made: “ I am pleased to say he was happy with what we had done to the place.” Says Robin.

Robin has familiarity with the neighbourhood as she once lived around here in her 20s. She rented a little basement apartment on Sparkhall Ave and loved the area back then and still does now. She now lives in the Beaches and much like that neighbourhood, she really appreciates how members of the community do their best to support local business owners.

“I love the variety of restaurants, stores and parks in the neighbourhood as well as the fact that it feels like a safe place to spend my time. Opening up my store back in March was a wonderful experience. The local shop owners and residents all made me feel very welcome and seemed genuinely happy to have a dry cleaning store on this part of the street.”

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of @thedanforthmusichall and you’re invited to join the celebration this Saturday, Aug. 17 at 12:30pm in front of the DMH. The @cityofto will be presenting a commemorative plaque to the owners and anniversary cake will be served to all attending this century celebration!

We’re back with our next install of #facesofthedanforth ! And we want to introduce you to Amr of @papyrus_toronto . His restaurant is based on traditional Egyptian cooking that uses the freshest and best quality ingredients. This is what Amr prides himself most on in his dining experience. He strives to ensure that everything is tasting exactly as it should with a guarantee of freshness and quality.

Amr came from a corporate background but then stopped working about 5 years ago to look after a disabled family member. He eventually decided to go back to work and wanted to do something he enjoyed given the challenges of caregiving. He has always been passionate about food, especially Egyptian food. He also felt that Egyptian vegetarian food is underrepresented in the city. “It’s such a great food and very relevant to today’s concerns about the environment, health and animal welfare. The food has been round for a long time and it’s a main staple for most Egyptians. How can it not be good? “ - Amr says.

He opened the restaurant in November of 2018. Having possession of the space in August allowed him to take care of renovations and developing the menu. He continues to tweak the menu as he sees which items are better suited to his clientele but continues to take great effort to maintain his integrity over quality and freshness, with a dedication to vegetarian cuisine.

Amr says he was really pleasantly surprised by how supportive the community was to a new business like his. People stopped by offering to help and made it clear they wanted them to succeed and stick around. Business owners stopped by to introduce themselves and welcome them. The other part he really likes is the progressive outlook from the community: “This resonates very well with our own values. Finally, it feels like a community. This I find really appealing. We feel we belong and want to contribute. “

Stop in and say hello! Amr is always very happy to discuss the history and tastes behind his dishes. It is an immersive & educational culinary experience!

As we approach July 22nd The City of Toronto and Danforth community invite all Torontonians to ceremonies on July 21 and 22 remembering those who lost their lives and recognizing those injured during the July 22, 2018 shooting on Danforth Ave.

Sunday, July 21st at 1:30pm in the north east section of Withrow Park.

Monday, July 22nd at Alexander the Great Parkette at Danforth and Logan and will begin at sunset - approximately 8:51pm.

Meet Jeffrey, the Branch Manager of our Broadview Danforth CIBC. He just celebrated his 29th Anniversary with CIBC, having joined them on Feb. 1st 1990. He was appointed as Branch Manager in 1994. His start in banking came early in his life, as he went through multiple placements in High School, initially trying retail, then accounting and finally finding his calling when he worked at Canada Trust. He made his way from his home town of Tillsonburg to Kitchener, where he attended Conestoga college and met a CIBC advisor through a business student group at the college. She inquired about his past experience and advised him there was an opening with the bank. He applied and got hired. He worked part time while he was completing his degree in Business Management. After graduating, he immediately started working with CIBC full time, and remains passionate about his role with the bank and the community it supports.

Jeffrey finds that the area is a really unique & diverse community, filled with great businesses as well as proximity to schools and other amenities. He says that the branch is like a community and that they have long lasting relationships with their patrons. They know their clients well and offer them different services to help them with their needs. They are working towards holding several seminars to help keep people educated on the topic of finances. One instance was their seminar based around Intl. Women’s Day, where they discussed finances and future transfer of wealth as women will be controlling that more going forward. Other such seminars will be on First Time Home Buyers, Real Estate Days as well as their summer events.

You will likely be seeing Jeffrey out as they are raising funds for CIBC’s Run for the Cure fundraising.

This week from March 25th 9am - March 29th 5pm our city celebrates all its 83 BIAs found in 32 wards.

Things to do:

Stop in to City Hall Rotunda to see select BIAs represent their areas and what they do within their BIA.

Join the conversation in the Twitterverse March 27th! Join us and many other BIAs and civilians discuss the amazing things BIAs do for the city and community.

Hashtag to follow along and interact with: #BIAweek

Date: Wednesday, March 27, 10:00am – 11:30am (EST)

What is a BIA?

A Business Improvement Area is a geographic area in a municipality. A BIA board of management is an organization set up to provide certain business promotion and improvement functions within that area. ... They vary in size from less than 60 businesses and property owners to more than 2,000.

Our BIA alone covers 350+ businesses between Pretoria and Dearbourne along Broadview & between Broadview & Hampton aves. Along Danforth. The Danforth is home to several other BIAs including @greektownbia (next to ours), @thedannybia , Danforth Village BIA & @crossroadsbia ...

Say hello to Clive! He’s the happy owner of one our newest businesses that joined our community - @blooreyewear. Some of you have expressed you already had your eyeglass needs taken care of by him and are quite pleased!

Some still wonder at the name of the store. To clarify, Clive’s store was originally located on Bloor E, by Sherbourne. He established the business back in August of 2010 and recently had to move on account of changes to being to his previous tenancy. He moved to this location in September 2018, and has been very happy to join the community ever since. Clive fell into this vocation quite accidentally. He saw a help wanted sign in an optical store some years back and went in and applied. His manager eventually suggested that he make it his profession, and still loves it to this day. He remembers one of his colleagues telling him, that if this was not his passion and only in it for the money that it was not something to pursue long term. But Clive still loves it and holds his passion for this industry more than ever. He enjoys helping his clients select something fashionable that suits their needs. The fact that he helps his clients see with satisfaction is rewarding to him.

Clive says this neighbourhood has a different vibe than any he’s felt before. He says people are so friendly and welcoming and he hopes to be very much a part of this community, not just another optical store. Look out for some opportunities to meet and mingle, because Clive has some fun plans for the future!

The Danforth BIA celebrates Valentine’s Day with a new name and exciting new look – that we hope you will love as much as we do! As of today, the Danforth BIA will be known as the Broadview Danforth BIA to better identify the more than 350 shops, restaurants and services that are part of one of Toronto’s most vibrant business improvement areas.

The Broadview Danforth BIA’s new logo, by Toronto graphic artist Aure Lucas, pays tribute to the TTC’s Bloor-Danforth subway and the iconic Bloor Viaduct which have connected Toronto with Broadview Avenue & the Danforth for over a century.

On February 23, Drey Dance Academy is taking a trip to Cuba!!! Old Havana to be exact. With the one and only GUARACHA Y SON!

This traditional Cuban band plays salsa, son, guaracha, cha-cha-cha, bolero, changüí and guajira from the 1940's to 50's plus original compositions by lead vocalist Pablosky Rosales along with 5 other musicians. The powerful ensemble has impressed critics and the most sophisticated audiences all over the GTA with their music and energy. You have sure seen their performances at Lula Lounge and other places across the city.

Get ready for a beautiful and entertaining trip to the Island of music with Guaracha y Son. DJ Bernal will be spinning the hottest Latin hits (Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton, etc).

WHEN: Sat, Feb 23, 2019

WHERE: Divine Banquet Hall, 821 Runnymede Rd.

TICKETS: $15 in advance; $20 at the door

Doors Open @ 9 pm / Show Starts @ 10:30 pm

Admission includes Intermediate Salsa Shines Lesson by Dreyser Garcia @ 9:30 pm and live salsa band

*FREE parking*

Share the event with your friends, family and all lovers of salsa music and dance.

TORONTO – THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 – The 17th Annual Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival,taking place in Toronto February 22-24, 2019, is set to present the best of urban, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk and roots music, and will feature returning favourite artists as well as fresh new talent. It’s an all-ages, mid-winter, weatherproof event that emulates a multi-stage rural summer festival. More than 100 artists will be performing at three venues and five stages over a three-day weekend. For more information on the festival, schedule and for updates, please visit www.winterfolk.com.

Media Accreditation is now open.

Winterfolk XVII featured performers include Borealis Records artists Guelph-based activist and social conscience singer-songwriter JAMES GORDON, eclectic folk and traditional music duo EMILYN STAM andJOHN WILLIAMS who merge violin and clarinet with a bit of accordion to offer Klezmer, New Orleans jazz, old time, bluegrass, French and Scandinavian folk songs; highly acclaimed Canadian folk, blues and gospel singer and multi-instrumentalist KEN WHITELEY, and MOSE SCARLETT, who’s been on the Canadian music scene for more than 40 years and remains a delightful and skillful guitarist and performer.

Toronto Blues Society partners with Winterfolk again this year for a special showcase featuring BYWATER BLUES BAND, an award-winning seven-piece band drawing from the sounds of Southern soul, gospel and blues, featuring powerful lead vocals and slide guitar, CHLOE WATKINSON, who launched her solo career in 2018 with performances at Roy Thomson Hall and Yonge/Dundas Square will blow the roof off with her outstanding, formidable vocals and edgy songs; Toronto-based guitarist DAN MCKINNON is a 2017 Toronto Blues Society Talent Search Winner and is establishing himself as a Canadian blues artist on the rise, playing raucous, hard-hitting blues/rock. Others in the blues contingent include; 2016 CBC Sounds of the Seasonstandout JEROME TUCKER BAND; BLUZ FM personality DANNY MARKS; Award-winning GARY KENDALL BAND; and two-time JUNO and seven-time Maple Blues Award-winning artist JACK DE KEYZER.

Emerging and new-to-the-festival artists include: Brilliant Nova Scotian, now Toronto-based sisters CASSIE AND MAGGIE who offer Celtic fiddle and harmonies like honey; THE LIFERS, led by sisters Liv and Anita Cazzola, are an art-folk/rock collective from Guelph, Ontario, with harp-inspired ukulele, accordion swells, and lush vocal arrangements that give way to rip-roaring, soaring melodies and overdriven frenetic strums;Guelph’s award-winning folk duo TRAGEDY ANN inspires chills, provokes smiles, and reminds you to breathe. Mixing alt-blues and contemporary folk-rock, Liv Cazzola and Braden Phelan intertwine the storytelling power of Tom Waits with the musical nuance of Mandolin Orange; BLACK SUIT DEVIL plays “acoustic soul,” a fusion of folk, roots, blues and soul to give voice to social injustice and current political affairs; award-winning (opened for Brett Kissel), alt-country singer-songwriter ALESSIA COHLE; Kitchener native and multi-instrumentalist SAMMY DUKE performs as unique one-man-band; 2017 Songs from the Heart Contest winner, singer-songwriter DORIS FOLKENS plays old-time inspired folk and nostalgic tunes – all where the music beautifully transcends any age gap.

Other newcomers include New York-based guitar ace LYNDA KRAAR; Australia’s soulful and honest, multilingual singer-songwriter STAV who shares her story of migration with bursts of rhythmic fire and soaring melodies; Toronto jazz vocalist SIMONE MORRIS exudes a rare blend of soulfulness and subtlety – a natural storyteller who artfully lures audiences into her craftily-spun musical stories; Toronto-based bluegrass outfitTHE BARREL BOYS will keep everyone hopping and they’ll join hillbilly swing duo HOTCHA! plus singer and fingerstyle acoustic guitarist MR. RICK for the annual and much-loved Americana Pie showcase. Accordion fanatics will love the very new accordion-driven trio SHAKE THE BELLOWS with their blend of Tex Mex, Cajun, Celtic and French waltzes.

Festival Director and finger-style guitar picker BRIAN GLADSTONE will also take the stage with long-time musical partner and guitar whiz TONY QUARRINGTON. Tony has a new project as well, with singer ZOEY ADAMS plus his World War I musical documentary FOR KING AND COUNTRY featuring Brian Gladstone, Noah Zacharin, Stuart Laughton, David Storey, Roger Clown, Marg Stowe and James Gordon,will be a special ticketed showcase this year.

There'll be a couiple CD release concerts at the fest this year too. DAVID STOREYAND THE SIDE ROAD SCHOLARS is excited to announce the release of the new album Made in Canada, which continues the pattern established on Storey’s two previous releases, of wry wit and penetrating insights about life’s challenges, characters and passions. Award-winning songwriter and brilliant guitarist D’ARCY WICKHAMlooks forward to the release of his third album Signal Hill which is an all instrumental venture and really showcases his prowess at composition and performance.

The festival will also include special community stages and various themed musical workshops with something for everyone to enjoy. Winterfolk is a combination of general admission wristbands and separate ticketed concert stages on the Danforth, and is the ideal event for music-lovers seeking new and exciting things to do in Toronto.

MORE ABOUT WINTERFOLK - Winterfolk was formed to entertain, educate, enlighten, engage and encourage the community about various folk music styles including roots, blues, folk and more. Founded by Festival Director Brian Gladstone, it is run as a division of The Association of Artists for a Better World, a registered non-profit organization in the Province of Ontario, Canada. www.abetterworld.ca

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS! We’re always looking for volunteers to help out. For eight hours of service over the Winterfolk weekend, volunteers receive access to all shows and artist hospitality lounge and more! For more info and to sign up, please visit http://www.winterfolk.com/apply-to-volunteer/

Winterfolk gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Toronto Arts Council, Long & McQuade, Toronto Blues Society and JAZZ FM.

They opened their doors in October 2009, and the Danforth has been filled with the sweet scents of their ovens ever since.

As a family they’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 20 years. Having noticed an absence of fresh baked bread along the Danforth, Tracy (second from left) a writer at the time, began thinking about the possibility of filling that void. With a love of fresh bread, as well as the coziness that visiting a bakery can provide, Dough began — and with it, the hope of providing warm fresh goods to those in our community who enjoy the same.

Having worked as a baker many moons previously, Tracy was ready to step away from the computer and make the entrepreneurial leap, and, as the bakery has evolved and expanded its offerings, the whole family has followed along.From the beginning, the intention has been about making good things by hand, using the same ingredients their great grandmothers would recognize. It’s also not lost on them that food production these days is rooted in a fast and convenience-based system. While they don’t deny their place in this system, their objective is to approach the food making process more mindfully; to slow down a bit, to keep things as local as possible, to value hard work and work-life balance, to make things from scratch and in small batches, & so much more.

What they love most in this neighbourhood is the walkability, the dog watching and, of course, the people. To them the neighbourhood has so much to offer, and feel that if we all support the local businesses we can maintain its individuality. Spending years going to see movie screenings at the Danforth Music Hall, they were very happy when it was reopened as a venue for live shows. They enjoy the fact that you can do all of your shopping, for any occasion, at a variety of small businesses, soak up some outdoor time in several parks, go for dinner & drinks or to see a world class show — all within a few blocks, & on foot! They strongly feel that people are what make the neighbourhood, and love that through Dough they have met so many lovely and facinating people.

She opened her Danforth location on Dec. 17th 2015. Being a local resident it made sense for her to keep the business close to home. She felt that if she shopped in her own neighbourhood then she might as well work in her own neighbourhood.

Her favorite part of running & owning this business is her belief in the quality of the product they sell. She is proud to serve baked goods that contain no preservatives, bread with no sugar, and at the end of the day they donate unsold goods to shelters.

Fiona’s fondness for this neighbourhood came later in her life, as she grew up in the west end of Toronto. She was quite unfamiliar with anything East of Bay st. But once she got married she joined the Eastend community and soon fell in love with how relaxed it was and could never dream of living anywhere else.

Today we talk about one of our newcomers that have joined us here on the Danforth. @d.abrilhandcrafts opened its doors on December 12th of last year. The lovely creative minds behind it are Chris and his wife, Emma Landa. They moved to Canada ten years ago and have made it their home. Chris was working for a construction company for the last 9 years, but his wife was missing the colours of Mexico so that gave them the inspiration of opening this store. They sell beautifully hand painted clay pottery which is traditional to Mexico, and known for their bright colours. These are called Talavera, and have a long history in their culture which traces back to Spain as far back as the 15th century. Hence the name Talavera - named for the Maiolica pottery brought over by settlers from that region in Spain.

They are currently working on also bringing in some of their traditional home cooking into the store, which will give their store a unique one-stop-shop of Mexican street food where you can also buy traditional dinner wear and other home decor to match it. You will be getting the full experience here!

Their love of the community stems back to when they first moved here. Their landlord was also an immigrant, from Greece. Chris says he helped them so much with getting their footings here as newcomers to Canada, and opened so many doors for them. He and his wife are so grateful for that and love the Greek community in this area.

Stop in to have a look around. It having recently been Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, you’ll also see a lot of the traditional skeletons and ornate skulls which are so popular now. Definitely a place to find all sorts of treasures!

Christmas Belly Dance Party with Live Music Saturday December 1, 8pm Not a Silent night but an incredible celebration! Enjoy a Christmas Belly Dance night with Live Arabic Music! Egyptian Hors d’œuvres and drinks will be served. BYOB! Mark your calendar and get your tickets in advance! Only $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 7:30pm, Hafla starts at 8:00pm Egyptian Dance Academy – 211 Danforth Ave, 2nd floor For more information and to buy tickets over the phone call 416 462 3498http://www.discoverbellydance.com/product/christmas-hafla-2018/https://www.facebook.com/events/258925431641757/

Back in 1999 @theyogasanctuary opened its doors on College st. In 2003 they joined our community, and based their studio out of the Carrot Common. Eventually in 2005 they moved to one of the iconic buildings framing the entrance to the Danforth on the SE corner of Broadview & Danforth, where they reside until present day. If you haven’t seen the studio space yet, it’s quite the view from up there. Beautiful light pouring in from all angles of the room, and lovely wooden floors.

Co-founders Jo Bot, her sister Kimberley Sopinka & Cynthia Funk have known each other their whole lives and felt motivated by their passion for encouraging their community to become healthier through a practice of yoga and mindfulness. This materialized in the form of opening a business devoted to healthy living for all ages. Their business quickly expanded and soon introduced yoga teacher training in 2001. Now they share their knowledge with many future yoga teachers every year!

They really love that their members can easily walk to the studio to take a class, and that they are very loyal. They appreciate that this is a supportive and close knit community. How everyone cares about each other, can share a smile and say hi while walking around the neighbourhood. It doesn’t feel like it is a big metropolis, it feels more like a small town around the Danforth.

Haven’t been yet? Stop in for a nice relaxation or a good stretch to try it out. There’s something for everyone!

Meet our newest Face for our Faces/ Places profiles - Keiley of @smallwondersto. Many people here know her for the great pet store she runs, her avid passion for dogs & cats, and great sense of humour. But she’s also the key person behind putting together the Go Fund Me campaign immediately after tragedy hit our community in July. Her compassion not only extends to just our four legged friends but our community as well. You can see her pictured here with the store’s two family members: Diego & Rupert. You can often follow their shenanigans on her social media feed.

Small Wonders has been in this neighbourhood for the last 25 years, and has been a big staple for pet supplies in this community. Keiley eventually took it over from the original owner, Kimberley, once she was ready to move on. Keiley had been working for her on and off, in between her animal projects over the years and decided this was the next logical step in her plans. Their loyal customers were relieved to see that Small Wonders was not closing its doors for good. They have witnessed many generations of cats & dogs come through the store over the years, and she loves every single one of them!

Keiley’s been a resident in this neighbourhood since the 80s and is very fond of the sense of community here. She says it feels like it is a village within a city, where you come to know all the people so well and build long lasting relationships with them. You see them at parks, at the local shops and venues. You watch their kids grow up. She enjoys that you get to see the generations of people/pets move through this community as the years go by; bringing up her own memories of going to Detroit Eatery when she was pregnant. Now her daughter who is 28, is a frequent patron.

Stop in and say hi. There’s always a friendly face to greet you there!

On Wed. July 25th, we honored the lives of those affected by the tragedy of Sunday night, celebrated the love & strength of our community.

Thank you to all who attended the vigil. It was a beautiful procession & ceremony with so many beautiful, thoughtful words shared. The performance by Alexander Stewart & Flynn Tanner of our Danforth neighbourhood was deeply touching.